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Scenes with Witches in Macbeth: Different Adaptations by Welles and Polanski

Orson Welles and Roman Polanski took quite different standpoints in adapting Shakespeare's Macbeth into movies. While Welles's extended the surreal world of the play, Polanski diminished its supernatural aspects and created a realistic world. This argument is clear when we have a close look at how the two directors adapted the scenes with witches that are genuinely supernatural. Welles increased the appearances of the three witches, and enlarged their grip on Macbeth destiny. Polanski, however, decreased their appearances and weakened their influence on Macbeth. This different stances they took concerning the witches resulted in two different tragedies. Welles's movie is a fate tragedy while Polanski's is a character tragedy. Welles's Macbeth is a hero who corrupts because of the external, supernatural force. In order to establish him as a victim by the witches, the director cut down much of Macbeth's asides during which the hero struggles between greed and conscience. His Macbeth is no longer a victim of his own vile ambition. On the other hand, Polanski's Macbeth is a hero who falls because of his vain desire to be king. In order to portray him as a victim of his own immoral character, the director let his Macbeth speak most of the asides during which the hero grows the fatal seed planted by the witches. In short, Welles's supernatural world of witches and their magic made his movie a fate tragedy while Polanski's realistic world of Macbeth's desire for power made his movie a character tragedy.